


Scars

by atoxicrose



Series: Anthem Omniverse [6]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Implied Sexual Content, Light Angst, implied PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-22
Updated: 2016-11-22
Packaged: 2018-09-01 13:40:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8626639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/atoxicrose/pseuds/atoxicrose
Summary: Ellie wakes to calloused fingers tracing the scars across her bare back.





	

Ellie wakes to callused fingers tracing the scars across her bare back. Jesse’s fingers follow the back edge of the burn scar, and then skim over the long slash that runs from her left hip to her right shoulder. From there, they trace over the half dozen or so little gouges that run over her shoulder blades to the short, horizontal scar across her left shoulder blade, and finally settle lower down on the short, raised scar that runs parallel to her spine on the small of her back.

“From a piece of shrapnel,” Ellie murmurs against the pillow and Jesse starts slightly. “We were ambushed and didn’t realize that the constructs were magicked to explode when destroyed. I ended up with a foot-long piece of shrapnel in my back.”

Other than the bullet scar on her chest and the burn scars on her side, Ellie rarely talks about her scars. If asked she is usually vague or even evasive. It’s not out of shame, Ellie never tries to hide her scars and she often trains in a sports bra and shorts. With her healing factor and her own innate resistance, it’s rare for an injury to stick around for more than a day or two, let alone scar. It takes extraordinary circumstances and a hell of a lot of trauma for an injury to scar, and Ellie is not particularly fond of reliving those sorts of memories. ~~~~

“What about this one?” Jesse brushes his fingers over the scar on her left shoulder blade.

“I was sparring with Death. I zigged when I should have zagged and got nicked.”

Jesse snorts. “Some nick.” The scar is almost as long as his hand.

“Have you _seen_ Harvester’s blade? It’s bigger than I am.”

“That ain’t sayin’ much.”

Ellie lets out an indignant squawk and elbows Jesse in the ribs.

“Easy sugar, I’m just teasin’ ya!” he laughs. Ellie sticks her tongue out at him and Jesse rubs small circles on the small of her back until she settles back down next to him.

“What about this one?” He thumbs one of the small scars across her shoulder blades. Ellie swallows, feeling cold all of a sudden even though she was lying next to what was possibly the warmest human being on earth.

“All those little ones across my shoulders?”

“Yeah.”

“I got them at the same time. They’re from glass.”

“Christ. Why was there was so much glass flyin’ round?”

Ellie opens her mouth to say, _I don’t remember_ , but it sticks in her throat. She _does_ remember. She wishes she didn’t.

Ellie must have made some kind of noise or perhaps Jesse had just picked up on her distress because he says, “Never mind. Sorry, sugar, I should’t’ve gone stirrin’ up old memories.”

“It’s all right, Jesse. You’re allowed to be curious.”

_The world is ending; the sky is falling. The glass overhead shatters and the rain pours in. The water is so cold. The storm is so loud. It hurts, everything hurts._

**_Stop._ ** _**Don’t chase the rabbit.**_

Ellie shakes her head to clear it.

“You all right, sweetheart?” Jesse is propped up on one elbow and staring at her, concerned.

“I’m fine,” Ellie assures him. She scoots closer and Jesse lays back, lifting his arm so that Ellie can duck under it and press herself against his side. She rests her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat as he wraps his arms around her. Ellie closes her eyes and lets Jesse’s warmth seep into her.

“You can tell me anythin’, ya know that right?”

“I do. Thank you.”

And maybe one day Ellie will. But not today. The sun is filtering in through the blinds, and she is laying naked in bed with her lover. It is too bright and good to bring up the shadows of her past.

**Author's Note:**

> You can learn more about Ellie [here.](http://sta.sh/022dpttfb5ad)


End file.
